The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-11-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Notes on the Lesson for Novem-
Der 13-"Christ's Witness
to John"

From Chicago Standard. BY Rev. j. M. Coonl
The lesson for the above date may be found
in the eleventh chapter of Matthew. from the
second to the fifteenth verses Time, A. d.
2S Summer, soon after the events of lesson
l. Place, in Galilee, probably at Capernaum
or Main.
SPECIAL MENTION
John the Baptist He was the son of Zach
arlas, an aged priest, and Ell zaDeth, his wife
duke l., 49,, and was born about TX months
DefOre CHRIST His birth and work were pre-
dIcted by the angel Cab lei duke l., 5-l5),
ana by Isaiah lxl, 3. and Maiacui Gv., 81. He
grew up In solitude, and whe about thirty
years or age began to preach in the wilder
ness OF Judea. The preaching of John
seemed to have been of a very awakening and
alarming kind, and To have produced lively
impression on the minds of his hearers; but,
WITH most it was but temporary-they re-
joiced in his light for season. Among the
hearers OF John was Hsrod, the terarch Of
Galllee. This wicked prince not only heard
hum, but heard him with delight, and reform
ed his conduct III many points in consequence
OF his GLENN warning Mark vi, POI; but
there was one sin when he would not relin-
quish He had put away his own wife and
had married Herodlas, the wife OF his brother
Philip, he being alive. On this account John
faithfully reproved the te.rarch, by which he
was SO much offended that he would have
killed the preacher had he not feared an in
surrectlon OF the people; ~for oil men held
Johl to be prophet" Matt xiv, -. he
went so far however, as to shut him up In
prison. The resentment of Herodias was
still stronger and more implacable toward
the man VINO had dared to reprove her sin.
She therefore watched for some opportunity
to wreak her vengeance on this excellent man.
For account of this wicked deed see Matt
xiv, LIZ
The Castle Of Kacherm&-The prison was
the castle of Mach@rus, east of the Dead Sea-
Next 70 Jerusalem il was the strongest for
tress of the Jews. at is, as it were, ditched
about with such valleys on all sides, and to
such depth that the eye cannot reach their
|, y It's ruins still exist The CITADEL an
isolated and almost impregnab.e work, small
circular and exactly one hundred yards in
diameter, was placed on summit overlook
ing the city. The wall can be clearly traced
There are also remains of two dungeons;
the holes where staples of wood and iron had
once been fixed are clearly visible. See de-
scription of the ruins in Tristram's Land Of
Moab. (Abbott)
Herod the Murderer of John.-Herod An
tipas was the son of herod the Great and
Malthace, Samaritan woman. His father at
first intended that Antipas should be his sue
cessor as King of Judea, but afterwards
changed his will in favor Of Archelaus Matt
2; 22), another son by Malthace, and made
An tipas tetrarch of Galilee and Peraa
The first wife of Herod Antpas was
daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia Petrea.
But while she was still living he persuaded
Herodias, grand daughter of Herod the
Great and wife of Antpas' half brother
Philip, to desert her husband and become his
wife. Enraged at this insult to his daughter,
Aretas made war upon Herod, and defeated
him with great loss-a defeat which, according
TO Josephus, was attributed by many rather
as punishment for Herod's murder of John
the Baptist than for his wicked connection
with Herodias.
1t was through this connection, however,
that Herod was finally brought to ruin. Hero
dias was am bilious that he should obtain the
title of king, which had been conferred upon
his nephew Agrippa, and persuaded HIM to go
to Rome TO urge his claims upon the Emperor
Caliguls. But he was opposed at the Roman
court by the emlssaries OF Agrippa with so
much success that he was banished for life to
Lugdunum, in distant part of GauL This
ccnrrad A. ID. 80 He Is said to have after
moved to Spain, and died there. tEZ-
Johns Message TO Christ For now six
months, it may be for more than q year, the
| Baptist-the one man hitherto recognized ia
| these days as a prophet had lain u prisoner
| in the dungeons of Observation-Disclosures in
| hourly expectation of death-a man young in
| years, but wasted with his own fiery zeal, and
now by the shadows of his prison-house. But
| Antipas had not yet determined what TO do
| with him. Shielding him from the fury of
Herodias, and yet dreading to let him go free,
| he still suffered him, as Felix permitted Paul
| long afterward. at C@sarea, to receive visits
| from his disciples, If almost ashamed to
| confine one so blameless. The rumors of
| Christ's dongs had thus, all along, reached
| the lofty castle where he lay, and doubtless
were the one great subject of his thought and
! conversation A. a Jew he had chung TO jew.
| ish ideas of the Messiah, expecting, appar-
| emily, u national movement which would es-
| tablIsh pure theocracy, under Jesus Why
had He left him to languish III prison? Why
| had he not used his supernatural powers to
| advance the kingdom of God?
The answer OF Jesus was full OF calm dig
nity Isaiah, the special favorite of John, had
given the marks ages before by which the
| Messiah should he known, and these Jesus
proceeded at once to display TO the disciples
| sent from Mach@rus. Among the crowds
around him, there were always many who had
| been attracted by the hope of a miraculous
cure of their diseases or intirmities, and these
| he forth with summoned TO his presence, and
| healed. John would understand the signif-
canoe of such an answer, and 1t left undis-
| turbed the delicacy which strank from verbal
self assertion. His acts, and doubtless the
words that accompanied them, were left to
| speak for him. 1t WAS enough that he should
refer them to Isaiah, and to what they had
seen (Geikie.)
CONNECTING LINK.
Again we go backward a little IN point Of
| time. The events of the present lesson hap
pened probably as given in Luke, directly af-
| ter the raising or the son or the widow or
Main The twelve apparently we're not sent
forth until after the occurrences related in
| chapters lib John the Baptis had been in
| prison for some four or i've months proba-
| bly,. For parallel account see Luke Z: 1885
PRACTICAL THOUGHTS
| /. she sent"-V. =. Our doubts can best be
solved by Christ himself. "Come unto me,
. and will give you rest"-Matt IL: 2S
| . "Art thou he?"-V 3 personal expert
ence of religion il most satisfying @We have
| heard him ourselves, and know that this is
indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world "
John 4: AZ.
3. @Shew John " t. We should be pa
tent and helpful toward those in doubt and
anxiety. @We then that are strong ought to
| bear the infirmities OF the weak Rom. ID: /.
l. switch We do hear and see. ". T. Facts
are unanswerable arguments. Believe me
for the very works sake. John IA: IL.
| 5 ~Not be offended W G. Shun the con-
versation of those who study the Bible only to
crticise it. @Evsry day they wrestmy words"
| -Ps. So D
g. AS they departed. " T. We count that
one true friend who speaks kindly of us in
our absence. LET your speech be always with
| grace Col 4: 6.
Z. sShaken with the wind. W. z. Our re-
ligious principles, in order to be serviceable,
| must be firm. "He that wavereth Is like wave
of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed I"
| James | q.